diff --git a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/BriarService.java b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/BriarService.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..abfa21996
--- /dev/null
+++ b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/BriarService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+package org.briarproject.briar.headless;
+
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.account.AccountManager;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.lifecycle.LifecycleManager;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.nullsafety.MethodsNotNullByDefault;
+
+import java.io.Console;
+import java.util.Scanner;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
+
+import javax.annotation.ParametersAreNonnullByDefault;
+import javax.inject.Inject;
+
+import static java.lang.System.console;
+import static java.lang.System.err;
+import static java.lang.System.exit;
+import static java.lang.System.out;
+import static java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger;
+import static org.briarproject.bramble.api.identity.AuthorConstants.MAX_AUTHOR_NAME_LENGTH;
+
+@MethodsNotNullByDefault
+@ParametersAreNonnullByDefault
+public class BriarService {
+
+	private final static Logger LOG = getLogger(BriarService.class.getName());
+
+	private final AccountManager accountManager;
+	private final LifecycleManager lifecycleManager;
+
+	@Inject
+	public BriarService(AccountManager accountManager,
+			LifecycleManager lifecycleManager) {
+		this.accountManager = accountManager;
+		this.lifecycleManager = lifecycleManager;
+	}
+
+	public void start() {
+		Console console = console();
+		out.println("Welcome to Briar!\n");
+
+		if (!accountManager.accountExists()) {
+			if (console == null) {
+				LOG.warning("No account found.");
+				LOG.warning("Please start in terminal to set one up.");
+				exit(1);
+			}
+			console.printf("No account found. Let's create one!\n\n");
+			String nickname = createNickname(console);
+			String password = createPassword(console);
+			accountManager.createAccount(nickname, password);
+		} else {
+			out.print("Password: ");
+			String password;
+			if (console == null) {
+				Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
+				password = scanner.nextLine();
+			} else {
+				password = new String(console.readPassword());
+			}
+			if (!accountManager.signIn(password)) {
+				err.println("Error: Password invalid");
+				exit(1);
+			}
+		}
+		assert accountManager.getDatabaseKey() != null;
+
+		lifecycleManager.startServices(accountManager.getDatabaseKey());
+	}
+
+	private String createNickname(Console console) {
+		String nickname;
+		boolean error;
+		do {
+			nickname = console.readLine("Nickname: ");
+			if (nickname.length() == 0) {
+				console.printf("Please enter a nickname!\n");
+				error = true;
+			} else if (nickname.length() > MAX_AUTHOR_NAME_LENGTH) {
+				console.printf("Please choose a shorter nickname!\n");
+				error = true;
+			} else {
+				error = false;
+			}
+		} while (error);
+		return nickname;
+	}
+
+	private String createPassword(Console console) {
+		String password;
+		boolean error;
+		do {
+			password = new String(console.readPassword("Password: "));
+			if (password.length() < 4) {
+				console.printf(
+						"Please enter a password with at least 4 characters!\n");
+				error = true;
+				// TODO enforce stronger password
+			} else {
+				error = false;
+			}
+		} while (error);
+		return password;
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/Router.java b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/Router.java
index 41f4b4d8b..8975175af 100644
--- a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/Router.java
+++ b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/Router.java
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 package org.briarproject.briar.headless;
 
-import org.briarproject.bramble.api.account.AccountManager;
-import org.briarproject.bramble.api.lifecycle.LifecycleManager;
-
 import javax.inject.Inject;
 import javax.inject.Singleton;
 
@@ -11,28 +8,17 @@ import io.javalin.Javalin;
 @Singleton
 public class Router {
 
-	private final AccountManager accountManager;
-	private final LifecycleManager lifecycleManager;
+	private final BriarService briarService;
 	private final ForumController forumController;
 
 	@Inject
-	public Router(AccountManager accountManager,
-			LifecycleManager lifecycleManager,
-			ForumController forumController) {
-		this.accountManager = accountManager;
-		this.lifecycleManager = lifecycleManager;
+	public Router(BriarService briarService, ForumController forumController) {
+		this.briarService = briarService;
 		this.forumController = forumController;
 	}
 
 	public void start() {
-		if (accountManager.accountExists()) {
-			accountManager.signIn("test");
-		} else {
-			accountManager.createAccount("test", "test");
-		}
-		assert accountManager.getDatabaseKey() != null;
-
-		lifecycleManager.startServices(accountManager.getDatabaseKey());
+		briarService.start();
 
 		Javalin app = Javalin.create()
 				.port(7000)